Trading Secrets
by trypophobica
Summary: "I would've left by now if all I was here for was that. I.. dunno. I think I have a reason to be here, but I'm not sure what it is yet.. I have a good feeling about tonight. Something's going to happen, I just know it." / One-shot, friendship drabble. Romance if you squint with one eye closed and open at the same time and turn your head to the side 273.5 degrees. K for profanity.
1. Earning Knowledge

**A/N: **I have invented a new ship! It is called TRADE. You'll see soon.

* * *

I'm just walking around the school after hours, feeling like a huge rebel. I don't even know why, really, because being unsupervised in the very school that future celebrity rejects start their miserable futures in isn't that daring.. at all- especially when compared to the other vices I've committed. But let's not go down that road, 'cause its a long one... heh. That's what she said.

My feet feel heavy and I've been dragging myself around for a while. Normally, I'd be with Beck, but we're kind of in a weird state of mutual half-hatred, half-awkward right now. Actually, I just don't want to be near him- and I'm assuming he doesn't want anything to do with me because if he **had**, don't you think he'd have opened the door? I guess it's not really that surprising that he didn't, once I look back on all the stupid things I did to him, but.. I loved him, okay?! It's not my fault if I let things get to my head sometimes! And anyways, that just means that I'm afraid to lose him.. so there. I'm **not** heartless.

Setting my weird internal monologue aside, I really wonder what I'm doing here. Honestly, I usually only stay at school late if I want to prank someone.. which I did, I put a pressure sensitive explosive on Vega's locker.

...What?! It's not going to **kill** her!

But I would've left by now if all I was here for was that(although honestly, I can't wait to see Tori's face blow off tomorrow.). I.. dunno. I think I have a reason to be here, but I'm not sure what it is yet.. I have a good feeling about tonight(Jade West actually having an emotion that's not steaming mad and bitchy? Yeah, I know. It's rare.). Something's going to happen, I just know it somehow.

I wonder if I have psychic powers? That'd be really cool. I could open up one of those rip-off fortune telling shops and call myself 'Madam Jadelyn' and tell people the exact opposite of what their futures were. Or, in a less distant future, I could go around spewing the bad fortunes of people to them, just to get inside their head and make them paranoid. I could also find out what bad things were in store for **me**.. That would make me really happy, actually. I'm no masochist but the thought of knowing things that no one else does puts a light in my eyes. Okay.. I'm obviously really weird.

I'm carrying my bag on my back and I'm just chilling around by myself, clearing my head. It's like, 6:30pm for something and all of the after school crap that goes on here has long since ended. So obviously I find it kind of peculiar when I see the Janitor's closet has lights on.. Well, not even kind of peculiar, because I didn't even know the janitors closet had lights. I inch closer and I don't even know why I'm doing this, really, but I can't help it when I press my ear up against the door and I hear faint music, a low melody that I recognise to a tee. _Radio_ by He is We.

...Don't ask why I know that song, because I don't. I don't know the band either, and even if I did I wouldn't like them because they're girly. So fuck off! I'm captured by the sweet melody and I find my body relaxing against the door frame and my lips are moving along to the peaceful music, and yet I can feel my heart wrenching from the sheer emotion in the girls voice, when I realise that it's not a radio playing the notes like I thought, but somebody in there is playing the song's instrumental and quietly singing along, because the voice breaks off every few seconds to give way to sniffles.

Unable to hide my growing curiosity any longer, I impatiently wait for the song to finish before thrusting open the door and strutting on in.

Well, I didn't expect that.

Squeezed in the corner of the janitors closet, hidden behind the shadows is a person I know too well, with a tear stained face. I can tell her brunette hair is messy, but it's mostly hidden behind her shoulders. What little makeup she's wearing is running and overall she just looks like she's in a sort of shitty emotional state. I know what you're thinking, 'Oh, It's Tori! Well, go comfort her, Jade! This is your chance to prove that you're not as much of a huge bitch as everyone thinks you are!'. Well, the problem with that statement is that I suck at comforting. Oh, and it's not Tori. If it were Tori, I'd have been exploiting her by now.

I sit down next to the older Vega sister and she gives me a look. It's not a mad look, not even the usual obnoxious ones that I get from Trina. Her eyes say more than her mouth ever did, and honestly, she just looks _broken_. Cliché, right? Wrong. This is a new kind of pain I'm seeing in her eyes, and even though we haven't said anything to each other yet I instantly want to know what's wrong, but I stay silent until she speaks.

"Why are you here?" I know she's trying to be all tough girl, but I can't shake that haunting melody that she sung earlier out of my mind. She's sad, I heard it in her voice, I know I did. I don't even know why I care, but.. I guess even Jade fucking West can have strokes of miraculous niceness sometimes, right?

"I.." I trail off. Why **was **I here? I shouldn't be caring, I shouldn't even be _willingly_ talking to Trina. I get up to leave and I hear a sniffle from behind me. Well, even _I'm _not that heartless. I let out an exasperated sigh and sidle on back over to her, pressing my back against the wall and sliding all the way back down. Instead of responding, I turn to face her and grab a red handkerchief out of my pocket. I fold it into quarters and gently wipe away Trina's tears, then search my backpack for a makeup remover(Don't act surprised.) and hand it over to her. She sits in silence for a minute- she's probably surprised at my (**very**) random act of kindness. She sniffles a bit and I look at the handkerchief in my hand, debating on weather or not to sacrifice it for her. I decide, 'Ah, what the hell, she already has her stupid tears all over it' and hand it to the brunette beside me. Trina blows her nose on it, folds it and sets it aside.

"Are you going to tell me why you're here?" Wow, I didn't mean for that to come out so bitter. Oops.

"Are **you** going to tell me why you're being nice?" She retorts quietly, turning around to look me in the eyes for the first time. I sigh. Good one. I had no answer, though, so I just said the first thing that came to mind.

"The fact that I'm asking means that I _care_ for once, Trina. Just tell me." Believe it or not, as annoying as she is, I've got nothing on Trina. She gets shit from everyone and although that's justified, I kind of feel for her. Not in an empathetic way, because I'm an alpha female, but in more of a sympathetic way. I feel her stiffen next to me when I grab her hand. Jesus, what am I _doing_? _Let go, Jade. Let __**go**_! But I don't. I grip it tighter and turn her to face me, staring her cold in the eyes.

"Why are you here by yourself, in the janitor's closet, by yourself, singing five **hundred **_**million**_ times better than you ever do on stage, **by yourself**?" I emphasise, raising an eyebrow. She looks around uneasily and I swear to **God** I just saw fear in her eyes. I actually spent a second contemplating that. Trina wasn't afraid of me like everyone else was, and at first I'd thought it was because she was too engrossed in herself to feel emotions towards anyone else(unless they were either a hot male or a celebrity), but after a while I noticed that she'd give me looks, and I immediately realised this was different. She saw right through my 'bad girl' mask. My thoughts are interrupted when she actually gives me an answer for once.

"I don't.. It's a long story." Wow, great excuse, Trina.

"I got time." So she takes a deep breath and starts talking.

"I.. I sing bad," She beings slowly, unsurely. I nod her on. "Because when I auditioned for Hollywood Arts, I had sung like I just did now.. Everybody thought it was good," She smiles weakly at the memory, training her gaze on the ground.

"And my freshman year had gone great. But things went wrong in Sophomore year, when a girl named Victoria Easthom tried out and got in." The smirk had faded, replaced by an unhappy frown. I wanted to know what the hell this Easthom chick had to do with anything, and my fists were actually itching to punch something.

"Umm.. I was performing 'Make it Shine' at the big Showcase that year- that had been the song that I'd auditioned with, but by then, singing it at the showcase had become tradition." Her smile returned, a little bit. Well, her frown got smaller. "I'd performed last, right after Victoria's performance. Her song hadn't received much appreciation, and she had written it herself." Now that I think about it, Trina looks kind of hollow. Poor thing.. kind of.

"But after I'd sang, I got a lot of applause.." I expected her to smile, but she looked scared. Ugh, I know we go to an acting school, but why does everybody have to make so much **drama **all the time? Oh, wait. I'm the one who asked her. "And after my performance, I was in the dressing room and she came over with a bunch of girls- probably like 15 or 20 or something like that, and maybe half as many boys. She poured scalding hot coffee down my dress.." I remember something she told me and I looked at Trina's chest to see if it was there, and I saw a big brown mark. Yep, that's a burn. Why the hell did I believe her when she said that was a birthmark? That must have been a bad burn if it was enough to leave a mark.

"Third degree." She states flatly, still looking at the ground very un-Trina-like. I nod. Damn, that sounds painful. "Anyway, she poured it and then she told me.." Trina gulped, then looked up at me. "Promise not to tell anyone?" I looked up at the celing and pursed my lips, mocking deep thought.

"Yeah, yeah. Finish the story." I respond flatly. Damn, I think my nice streak ended. Oh well, it was too long anyway.

"She said that if I ever outshone her again, she'd make me pay." Trina shrugged. "So I didn't."

Throughout her story, I can't help but realise how un-Trina she was, and it just clicks in my mind. She's exactly like me. A person who was broken, splintered to pieces, when she was being herself- so she decided she wouldn't anymore. What, do you think I was born in black with eyebrow pairings?

But, really. The sheer magnitude of the story was overwhelming. **One **sophomore is the reason for all of Trina's irritating-ness?

"Who else knows?" I find myself asking. Damn it, Jade, stop giving a damn! This is _Trina _you're caring about! _Trina!_

"No one.." Her head snaps up and she looks me in the eyes with a brain-rattling level of emotions and depth in her brown cow eyes. "Please keep it that way.. please?" I nod, then bite my lip. Her eyes are watery and she looks like she's about to..

Trina breaks into quiet sobs, her body racking and shuddering.

Damn it

I reach towards her, then pull back several times. Should I hug her, or would I get some sort of disease? ...I'm not a hugger, okay? I reach forward hesitantly and wrap her in my arms, almost grinning when I feel her stiffen in surprise. Then it's my turn to be surprised when she leans against me and wraps her arms against my waist, crying into my hair and shoulders. For once, I don't even mind the contact. I can't believe I'm thinking this, but her hair smells nice. Like Key Lime Pie, which is a scent I would never associate with the girl that it's coming from.

"How long have you been doing this?" I ask, afraid of the answer. She pulls away from me and looks me in the eyes. Her face is inches away from mine and if I wasn't in my nice-ish mood I'd feel a serious urge to slap her.

"Three years." She chokes out, falling back against me. She's not even sobbing anymore, just quietly crying into my arms- nothing like the over dramatic, bitchy crying she normally does for show. I rub her back and hum a tune('Speeding Cars' by Imogen Heap- It's a great song.) into her ear. After a while, we pull away and Trina raises her eyebrow at me.

"You're being really nice today, Jade."

"You're being less of a bitch today, Trina." I respond almost instantaneously, and she actually laughs. What the fuck?

"It's funny how you all judge me by my appearance.." She chuckles, and I barely hear it. "If you knew half of what's happened to me, you wouldn't act the way you did.. ever." I had to lean in to hear that. I shrug it off and get up, dusting myself off, and grab my backpack. She gets up too and says,

"Well, I know you're going to act like this never happened." Trina says, and I roll my eyes. Of course **she **knows how predictable I am, whilst my 'friends' are too engrossed in themselves to really pay attention to my personality. I raise a black fingernail to my chin and look up, thinking with a sarcastic expression.

"You know what, Trina?" She freezes and looks over at me questioningly.

"I don't think I will."

* * *

**A/N: **Har de har! It was actually frenship! Yes. Frenship. French-ship. Frenchsip. Frendsip. Wenchwhip. Cool whip! I love cool whip. Especially with strawberries, mmm!

… But it could be romance if you squint with one eye closed and open at the same time and turn your head to the side 270 degrees and stick your tongue up your nose and have it come out of your left ear.

Anyway, Trina and Jade. The name 'Trade' is now _copyright Trypophobica_(THATS ME)!**_ I CALL DIBS!_**

**__**If you **don't** review, my slave, who goes by the name of FlorMorada dies. Which, might not be such a bad thing, because then it would give me the right to come to your house at 11:59pm and kill you while you're sleeping! Because although she is my slave, I love her. B[

If you **do **review, you get to live!  
Your pick.

...

...

...

Go away now.


	2. Destroying Assumptions

**A/N: **Hiii! HIIIII!

…

…

…

…

_**HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!**_

* * *

_Knock, knock._

Ugh, who the **fuck** is there?

I'm trying to get my freaking beauty rest here!

"Tori, go answer the door!"

"No!"

I flinch as I hear the door to Tori's room slam shut, then cringe as I hear it lock. Ugh, I guess I have to do everything around here.. I tramp downstairs and open the door to see none other than the last person I wanted to see right now.

"..Hi, Jade." I say coldly, confusedly, looking into her seafoam eyes and hoping my scornful gaze was making her uncomfortable. It wasn't, of course, because she just pushes past me and sits on the couch. She doesn't respond, instead she starts fiddling with her black-painted fingernails. I follow her quietly and sit on the other end of the couch. I look her over and decide that the whole 'emo goth' look wouldn't work on **anyone **except her. She looks really pretty, what with her black-n-neon hair cascading in waves and ringlets down to her lower back, and her skin is pretty much vampire pale. She's the epitome of aesthetic perfection, and I realise while I was sitting here slaving away to look remotely appealing, she wasn't even trying and she just **glowed**. Nothing like I'd ever be. She's wearing, like, 5 pounds makeup and it only made her prettier. But I think I'd like to know what she looks like without makeup..

"Take a picture, Vega, it'll last longer." She snaps, and she pulls her pearphone out and starts to text on it. I can't see her face because it's being blocked by the phone, but I can see her cheeks- and they're up. Jade's smiling? I feel a pang of jealousy and swallow it down my throat, and admiration bubbles up to take it's place. She's fearless. I want to be like that.

"Jade, Tori's upstairs." I state matter-of-factly, and yet, I can't help but wish she was here for me. I've felt attracted to her since that day in the closet, and honestly, I just wanted to be her friend. She was pulling me in, dangling the bait in my eyes- and I knew that there was a hook deep down, and for some reason, that didn't defer me any.

"I'm not here for Tori." She states matter-of-factly. I feel my heart beat a little bit faster and I can't help but smirk in excitement. Someone went out of their way to see me? People usually go out of their way to avoid me. Stupid fucking Victoria Easthom.. But wait, what if she's here to vandalise something? Or worse, to maul me? I wouldn't doubt that, considering the fact that everybody wants to maul me, but she's a lot braver than everyone.. I'm already planning out my karate move set when I feel a hand on my knee.

"I'm here because we need to talk about the closet yesterday." She tilts her head a little bit forward and a little bit to the right in an inquisitive yet intimidating manner.

"You seem more like the type to avoid situations." I joke, trying to lighten the mood. She's not amused.

"Yeah, but not when they include the 'annoying Vega sister.'" Jade makes air quotes with her fingers and I can't help but frown. I think she notices because she frowns too.

"But, really, Trina. Are we friends, or not?" She's looking at me with a pout on her face.. Does she actually _want to be friends with me?_

"Do you want to?" I ask hesitantly, although I already know the answer.

"Yeah." I freeze. What?

"Jade, you realise that you're asking **Trina Vega**," I emphasise my name, "The most untalented, unloved and hated person at Hollywood Arts to be your friend?"

Jade just smiles at me.

"You won't be like that for long." I shrug halfheartedly, looking at the ground. I mumble a 'why not' and she looks at me with a determined fire in her eyes.

"We're going to kick _Vicky_'s **ass**."

. **.** .

The next day, I walked into school with Jade at my side.

Instantaneously, people erupted in conversation. Of course. I bite my lip and mumble to Jade,

"Do you really think this is gonna work?" I ask unsurely, and she stops me to turn my body towards her and dust off my shoulders..? What?

"I just dusted off your doubt. It's gone now." She states like she's some kind of psychologist and she keeps on walking, leaving me in a daze. What, so Madam Jadelyn just dusted my nervosa away? Pfft. But..I **do** feel less apprehensive now.. Damn it, Jade! You and the Placebo effect!

I trot quickly to catch up to her. "When are we going to do it?" I ask in a hushed tone.

"During Health class, when else?" Jade barks matter-of-factly. "I explained yesterday, remember?" She playfully taps me on the head with her finger and strides off.

Whatever Health has in store for me, I just hope it goes well.

. **. **.

I walk into the health room. It's a fairly blank room, it's got white concrete brick walls, a SMARTboard at the front of the room. It's actually really boring, what with it's grey teacher's desk and grey computer desks with dark grey computers in the back.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention: Instead of chairs at the numerous desks lined up facing the front of the room, there were colourful yoga balls of all sizes and colours. I see Jade bouncing impatiently on a grey one and I stride over to her, sitting myself down in the purple one beside her.

"Jade, when are you going-" I was interrupted by the school bell, which rang **really** loudly. God, my ears were ringing!

"Class **is in session**!" I hear in a bellowing voice. Our Health teacher, a fat guy(who really shouldn't be teaching health until he knows how to follow his own rules..) named Mr. Brady comes up and stands before the class. "As you all know, our bullying projects are due today. Who wants to present first?"

"Now." Jade whispers in my ear as a response to my earlier question, then she gets up, pulling a sheet of poster paper out from under her desk. She walks to the front of the class, in front of the SMARTboard.

Jade pulls a microphone out of God knows where and turns it on. I'm surprised to see that it's hooked up to the school's PA system.

"I'm going to take the Tori approach to this and say, 'Hello, lovely students!'" Jade says with her faux Tori accent.

"I don't talk like that!" I hear my baby sister's desperate voice echo from the back of the class. Nonetheless, I smile at their comical actions. Jade pulls me up behind her and I turn red as they all start talking at once.

"You see this girl here?" Jade yells into the microphone, silencing the murmuring student body. "She was threatened by a none other than Victoria Easthom for singing 'Make it Shine' at the big showcase on her Sophomore year, and it's because of **her-**" Jade jabs a finger towards the back of the room, where I see Victoria sitting with three or four of her groupie friends. They all look horrified. "That Trina hasn't excelled to her true potential. Threatening is a kind of bullying. Now, who wants to hear Trina sing, for _real_?" The class erupts in encouraging cheers, and I can't help but smile. Jade tosses me the mic and starts beatboxing. Jade can beatbox? I stare at her for a second before I understand what she wanted me to sing.

So I sing.

"_There is a house in New Orleans,  
They call the rising sun.  
And it's been the ruin of many a poor Boy,  
and God I know I'm one._

_My mother was a tailor,  
Sewed my new blue jeans.  
My father was a gamblin' man.  
Down in New Orleans.  
Now the only thing a gambler needs is  
A suitcase and a trunk.  
And the only time he'll be satisfied  
Is when he's on a drunk."_

Ugh, my heart's about to beat out of my chest. I look up and see Vicky's horrified and she looks _pissed_. I'm screwed.. But I have to finish. I have to.

"Oh mother, tell your children,  
Not to do what I have done.  
Spend your lives in sin and misery  
In the house of the Rising Sun.

Well I've got one foot on the platform  
The other foot on the train  
I'm going back to New Orleans  
To wear that ball and chain

Well there is a house in New Orleans  
They call the Rising Sun  
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy  
And God, I know, I'm one.

"

I conclude my song with a shy smile and look at the ground, only to feel Jade slap me on the back, and hear the students interrupt in cheers. I look up and I see everyone's applauding, even Vicky. I look over and I see Jade's smiling. Jade's _smiling_. For me. That's amazing. We link arms and trudge back to our seats.

"Good performance, Trina." Says Mr. Brady, who doesn't even comment on how Jade's project literally had **nothing** to do with bullying.

Jade looks at me with a happy light in her eyes and I can't help but return it.

"Nice notes there, Trina." I don't even notice that she called me by my first name- not that that's any weirder than the fact that she just complimented me.

"I wouldn't have been able to do it without you.. thanks." Thanks. Thanks. The word echoes in my ears. Nothing that old, talentless Trina would say. But I'm not old talentless Trina anymore. I'm Catrina Vega, and I have talent. I **can **sing. It feels good to be myself for once.

"Hey, Vega." Jade has a mischievous expression on her face and I can't help but brace myself. I respond appropriately by raising my eyebrow and cocking my head, and she scoffs at my melodrama.

"Guess what?" She doesn't wait for me to respond before continuing excitedly, "I rigged Vicky's desk to-" She was interrupted by a shrill scream coming from the back of the class.

"Who put _**CHEDDAR CHEESE **_in my desk?!" I looked up to see a now cheese-laden Victoria Easthom running out of the class in tears, leaving nothing but a trail of cheese behind her. I laugh. Not the old, talentless Trina laugh, my _real _laugh. It's quiet and I actually really like the sound of it. Jade raises her eyebrow at this.

"You faked your _laugh_, too?" I nod with a sheepish smile, and she just rolls her eyes and shrugs it off. I look at the doorway, half-expecting Vicky to run back in with an axe to chop my head off.

"Listen," I look back over to her. "Me and Cat were going to FreezyQueen after school, and I don't think she'll mind if you tag along. You in?"

I nod happily, and she does something surprising. She leans forward and gives me a hug, then pulls away with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Don't tell anyone I did that."

"I won't." I laugh. The bell rings, and me and her get up and walk to our next classes together.

I never thought I would be able to say this, but I think that I finally found a friend.

* * *

**A/N: **I ended that horribly.

..YOU TRY ENDING IT. God! You're so mean to me! /sobs and runs away

No, but really. I **love** this friendship. I don't even know why.. Maybe because their names together is a real word? xD Unlike.. Bade? :P Bori? Tandré? xD

rock and roll, beesnatches. peace out.


	3. Switching Sides

**a/n;** this is dedicated to three lovely mademoiselles.

_**X**_**xxx4evaSummerxxxx** because she's like.. I don't even know. She's super duper supportive(Only God knows why ^^;) and she's been a great friend throughout every piece(can you even call it that?) that I've written and she's really awesome. :O

And..

_**c**_**razy**_**b**_**ut**_**l**_**oveable** because it was her BIRTHDAY! Happy belated birthday, Macey! Go say happy birthday to her or I'll kill you, kids. B[ You don't want to die the way i'll kill you, trust me.

AAANNDDD

**Captain Raven Rose **who's also having a birthday today.. o.o

Alright, so Jade eating a cupcake. That's how this chapter starts. Spoiler warning, yeah. But seriously, dude, my Jade fannons are: -she has _**p**_**urple **_**e**_**yes** but she wears contacts / -she has a secret sweet tooth and is a great chef but its like her biggest secret on earth ever on earth **ever** / -she has a soft spot for trina and cat and / -she hates tori. Not even likes in the least, just **hates **her. :D / -she doesn't like to use vulgar language. I mean, like, not cuss words but, body parts and bodily functions. She can't even say 'poo'. :D she has to say 'crap'. And even then she hates to say it.

my cat fannons are: -she has a green cheek conure named Peanut and a lovebird named Hanalei / -she has an autistic brother, but that's not something i'm going to write about because FlorMorada does it better. / -she has originally brown hair and / -her room looks like a cotton candy/pastel paradise. :O

my trina fannons are: -she has no choice but to act the way she does and it's not her fault / -she gets jealous easily but / -shes great at hiding her feelings.

More to come, prolly.

Ps: I always keep this story on complete because I'll add to it whenever I feel like it. :O but if I never finish it then It'll bring you guys closure.. or something.

Pss: **I JUST REALIZED THAT LOGAN REESE AND TRINA VEGA ARE LIKE POLAR FATERNAL TWINS OR SOMETHING. O**u**O **who's with me?!

pssss: it's my **birthday **today!

Just me?

Okay. :C

* * *

**SWITCHING SIDES.**

* * *

Jesus, I'm hungry.

Weird way to start a story, I know. But seriously. I freaking _am_. I walk to the kitchen and open the fridge. Shit, there's like, nothing good here. Oh, well. I pull out a cinnamon-cappuccino(The flavours that Americans invent these days, my _God_) iced cupcake. Even if the flavour sounds weird, it looks _delicious _and I can't wait to eat it.. I walk to the couch and plop down, turning on the TV. Then I unwrap it slowly and delicately, because if I get icing on my fingers my OCD side won't be very happy.

I use the tippytips of my nails to pluck the small chocolate heart off the top of the cupcake and place it precisely on the tip of my tongue. The chocolate melts onto my tongue and it has just the right balance of cacao and milk in it(maybe something like 50% concentrate?) and I can taste a hint of coffee and a hint of salted caramel in the sweet, melting substance. Holy _shit_, _mm_. My taste buds are being freaking molested by the flavour. I can only imagine what the cupcake itself is going to taste like..

I'm about to lick the curly tip of the icing on the peak of the cupcake when my mom comes in, leaving me frozen with my tongue millimetres away from the icing that I swear to God I can taste even if I'm not touching it..

"Jade.." She begins uncertainly. "Are you making out with the cupcake?" I groan as she bursts out laughing.

…

What? I freaking like sweet food! And it's not like I can eat it anywhere but my house, I have a friggin' reputation to keep up. So go away!

"I love you, mom, but me and the cake are having a moment." I say with sincerity before I leap to my feet and storm up to my room with the culinary gem in my hand.

I sit down on the floor and I'm about to make the first lick onto it's marble-slick surface before my phone rings. I look down and see Trina's face on the screen along with the custom ringtone I picked for her.

"_Radio / Bleed me a melody / That will make this boy cry / Radio / Bleed me a mel-_" I press the 'answer' button on my phone and bring it up to my ear.

"What." I demand firmly. Too many interruptions to my cupcake! But my shoulders slump and the cupcake falls, forgotten, to my side as I hear crying on the other end.

"Jade, Jade, Jade!" Trina's sobbing into the phone and I have no idea why.

"What's wrong, Trina?" I ask although I'm afraid she's gone back to being the 'old Trina' and she's crying because her avocado mask exploded in her face or something.

"Guess **what**?" ...Oh. They're happy tears. Don't worry, I got that.

"Trina, you scared the fuck out of me!" I chide. "Why are you crying?"

"Because a miracle happened!" I groan in annoyance. Whatever it is, it couldn't be that impressive..

"I was going to eat a fucking _cupca_-"

"Nevermind your sweet tooth! Guess what? Oh, whatever, I'll tell you anyway. Josh Segal asked me out!"

I blink _onetwothree _times(maybe it was a miracle) and then I feel my lip curl in disgust and do my best not to smash my phone into the ground. My hand snakes around my back and feels the floor for my cupcake, which I pull into my grasp. Trina goes off on a lament about how amazing Josh Segal the two-timing cheapskate player of the school is, and while she does so I nonchalantly lick the icing off the cupcake with the tip of my tongue. The first lick is all it takes before Trina's voice is reduced to a dull droning in the background. All I can hear is fireworks as I taste this cupcake. Holy crap it's amazing. It tastes like milk chocolate mocha with a hint of cinnamon and I can practically feel myself melt under the taste. Iciiingg..

"Jade!" I sit up straight with sudden but rapt attention and realise that _Crap, I forgot to listen to Trina_.

"Did you hear anything I said?" I laugh sheepishly.

"Yeah, Vega. What am I supposed to say to that?"

"Well, since I asked if you wanted to come over, a response would be nice." She says and I can tell she's not being the bitch she used to be but she's just lightly joking around with me. I decide that the cupcake can come along and respond with a quick yes. This should be interesting..

. **. **.

I knock impatiently on the door of the Vega's house, cupcake in hand. Almost instantly, Trina brings me inside her house, dragging me by the wrist and sits me down on the couch. I observe her face and I can see that she has tear stains on her cheeks. I take a bite out of the cupcake and an_ mmmmm _goes past my lips and my eyes flutter shut. It tastes like coffee and caramel and cinnamon but it's not overdone and the icing only makes it taste even better and _holy shit Trina's talking_.

"Jade?" She waves her hand in my face and I snap to attention.

"Alright." I say with mock interest, although really, the cupcake is more appealing to me right now. 'Tell me how you got into dating the school player." She looks taken aback for a second but then resumes her animated aura, talking quickly and excitedly.

"Well.. So after that 'health project' we did," She begins, making quotation marks with her fingers, "He caught up with me after we had split up to go to our different classes and he.. he just **asked** **me out**!" I rolled my eyes. This was _not_ going to end well.

"Trina, he's a player. He wants you because he wants to be the first to _have you_." I say, and I feel my eyes widening to prove my point. Trina looks oddly uncomfortable and I can't help but to smirk. I sit in silence and watch her intently, waiting for a response. I cross my arms as she stirrs to speak. Probably going to tell me how I'm right and stuff. Because I am. I mean, I'm Jade West.

"I don't believe you." Whoa, what?

"Trina, even _To_- _Vega_ thinks he's a player. And she's.. she's her!" I exclaim, taking another bite out of the cupcake. Oh my **GOD **it has salty caramel filling. I'm dying here.

"So what if my sister dated him?" Trina asks. Well, she obviously wasn't faking obliviousness.

"Trina, he's cheated on every girl he dated after he stole her **virginity**!" I fall silent after a second, then blurt out, "Are you even a virgin?"

Trina looks at me like I've sprouted another head. "Of course I am! Why would'n-"

"**Anywho.. **he's going to break your heart!" I wasn't about to tell her that everybody called her an easy slut behind her back, especially because I've done it too..

What? I'm Jade West, it's what I do! Besides, I like Trina _now_ so what does it matter?

"No, he's not, Jade! He's super sweet!"

"He wants in your pants!"

"Well, I won't let him!"

"Ugh, I have better things to do than argue with you!"

"Like what, eat a cupcake?" I chuckle at this, getting up and grabbing my car keys off the table in front of me. I walk to the door and put the keys in the same hand as the cupcake to open it, and right before I leave, I melodramatically turn to look at Trina and say,

"Yes."

. **. **.

Ah, Hollywood Arts. The school of drama, melodrama and divas. Oh, and like, three talented people. And Psycho-witless. I mean Sikowitz. But seriously, the man probably smokes coconut skin or something.

I'm at my locker and I'm switching out my Improv Acting class notes with my Aspiring Director class textbook. Everybody's in class now and I'm late- not that this is an unusual occurrence. I slam my locker shut and lick my lips. Since yesterday's ordeal, I had gotten this new caramel lip balm and it was probably the only thing keeping me sane until I could get home to eat another cupcake. Yeah, I probably have an addiction- but you can't say anything until you try one of those things! I'm walking towards the left wing, about to turn the corner when I hear voices coming from the other side. I quickly spring into 'mission impossible' stealth position and flatten my back against the lockers behind me, leaning towards the corner to hear better.

"And she said yes?"

"Yeah, man! Why wouldn't she?"

"Oh, yeah, **snort**, you're right. She has no friends!"

"No, man. She has that goth girl." I clench my fists at this. Well, now I know who's talking, and who they're talking about..

"But she won't be a problem."

"Why not?"

"Trina's so in love with the idea of being in love she said yes on impulse."

"That's janked up, man!"

"No, man, remember that _nobody _loves her."

"Not even you?"

"The only thing that _I _love about her is.." I strained my ears to hear what they were whispering about, but I could only make out the occasional giggle or the word- well, _vulgar_ things. My fists clenched even more, sharp nails digging into my palms and making them very near bleed. I was right, then. That was all I needed to hear. Turning on the balls of my feet, I stormed off- I could get to my Aspiring Director's class another way.

. **. **.

"It's true!" I whine exasperatedly, leaning forward from where I sat in the couch until I'm inches away from Trina.

"No, Jade. He **loves **me! He would never say that!" This girl is too ignorant, I swear.

"Josh Segal is a _player_! Say it with me: Plaaaayyyyyyyy. Errrrrrrr." I widened my eyes with each phrase, trying to get the thought through Trina's head that _anybody _with a name like **Josh Segal **is only out to get your hoo-haa! Yeah, I said hoo-haa. Get out of here, I'm not a vulgar person.

"No!" Trina scowls, pushing me away from her.

"I can't believe you'd say that about my **first **_**boyfriend!**_"

...First?

"You just don't want us to be together, don't you? Well, **fine then**. I don't want to be a _burden_." I blink in surprise. Was this girl really saying what I think she was saying?

"The door's right there. Leave if you like."

She gets up and dusts herself off as if she's just done the whole world justice, and she strides upstairs without so much as a glance behind her. She doesn't tip her chin into the air or anything snobbish like that; but it still hurts to see her go. All I can do is stare after her with an expression of pity on my face, before I feel like absolute **shit**.

Her _first boyfriend_? That kind of explains everything and that makes me really.. I'm not sure. There's this emotion in the pit of my stomach and I don't know what it is but it's not a good one. It's not guilt, been there done that, but.. I don't know. I think my psychic powers are telling me something bad is going to happen. Even if I wanted to help Trina or make her feel better(I'm not sure I even want to anymore), I can't. I admit defeat with a a loud sigh, before I get up and drag my feet to the door, barely shooting a glance at the room behind me.

I've got no business here anymore.

* * *

baww sad sad. ;C oh well. im gonna go eat cake now. xD


	4. Crushing Illusions

**a/n; **hehe, double whammy! This was a fun write. C:

happy birthday to me.. so.. this should be fun. I think it would be more realistic to assume you'll get a one-shot from me monthly at the least and twice a day at the most.. my writing urges fluctuate a lot and I have a tendency to be obsessed with website to website.. as in, ill probably give up on FF in a while. :P but If I do come back(if I leave), it'll be to this account.

So yep.

* * *

**CRUSHING BELIEFS.**

* * *

Is this really what love feels like?

Call me cliché, but I can't stop thinking about him. Every time I do, my mouth goes dry and my stomach does a triple back-flip. Not to mention that sickly sweet, feels-like-home-y feeling that my heart swells with whenever I'm near him.. There's this sparkle in his eyes that makes me go nuts. I think I'm head-over-heels here, isn't that crazy?! Not as crazy as I am about him, Id bet. For real! I'm really happy with him. He's **so** super-duper sweet, and he calls me beautiful. No one else does.. Is that why I love him? Maybe Jade was right..

Ah, why am I fretting? I have a **boyfriend **that _loves me_! That's more than Jade could ever say- why did I listen to her? Her and Beck broke _up_, for Bobbi Brown's sake!

God knows I **feel** beautiful! Ever since I've started dating Josh, he's done nothing but shower me with compliments and he's made me feel amazing! I haven't been this happy since.. since I met Jade.

…

..but I'm still happy! And it's showing.

Example: Self-obsessed, no-self-esteem, low confidence, pre-Josh me used to take **at least **forty five minutes to get ready in the morning, re-doing her whole outfit if something didn't look right in those pants or if this shirt made her look curvy in the wrong way. Then she would lug herself to school with her baby sister and it wasn't a fun time for either of them, only for her to get ridiculed and have crap thrown at her at school _anyway_.

Buuut, high-esteem, always-happy, high confidence, post-Josh me takes no more than ten minutes to get ready, and always loves the result! And that's what I'm doing now. I'm just rolling a few coats of mascara onto my lashes and I think that I look **gorgeous!**

Today's HA attire would have to be described best as having a cotton candy theme(What can I say? Jade isn't the only one with a sweet tooth!). I'm adorning a baby blue cotton tank top that's loose around the neck and tight around the waist- but a good kind of tight, if ya know what I mean.

On the lower half, I'm wearing blueish purpleish Fazini jean-shorts and they've got that cute ripped style I've always loved to wear. The denim cuffs go about halfway down to my knees, so they're not Jessica Wolfe short but they're still short shorts but they're still cute 'cause they show off my legs- did I mention that post-Josh me is also skinnier? I've lost five pounds since I met him, and since I looked great to begin with I only look amazing-er now! Nevermind that that's not a word.

I'm wearing a pair of pastel pink pumps on my feet that show off my toes, which I had painted a light lavender the previous night. My hair was down but I had taken the liberty of curling the tips of a few strands and tucking a royal purple flower clip into the crook of my ear. All in all, I'd have to say I looked simply _smashing_. Well, something along those lines. I mean, that's what the british say, right?

Humming a song, I bounce down the stairs and call out cheerfully,

"Tori, come on! We've got fifteen minutes before school starts!"

"I'm ready, I'm ready! Don't leave without me!"

My baby sister runs down the stairs at lightning speed before half-falling, half-leaping over the last three steps and landing inches away from me. I chuckle lightly and grab my backpack off the ground, slinging it over one shoulder. She does the same with her own backpack, which is next to mine. I smile at her and peck her cheek, earning myself a traumatised glance back. I giggle bashfully and open the front door for her.

"Let's go." We nod mutually and she steps outside. I follow suit.

We make our way to the garage of our house, only to see that Tori's red Accord isn't there. Ugh, crap.

"Oh, yeah.. Mom was taking it to be serviced today.." Tori says, trailing off with her mouth gawping. I just roll my eyes and tell her we can walk if she wants. Her eyes light up like I've just asked her if she wanted a million dollars.

"Really? Let's go!" She grabs me by the wrist and drags me off.

. **. **.

"Tori, why are we walking in the woods?" I ask hesitantly, looking at the thick viridescent underbrush around me. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful(what with the way the light filters through the dense leaves above us, causing gorgeous shafts of light to filter through them like heavenly sunbeams; the way the mid-summer leaves and twigs crunched under our feet; even that heavy smell of moss, creek water and plain old nature was a welcome thing. I _really _need to get out more..), but last time I checked, this wasn't the way to school.

Not that I checked, but, uh.. you know.

"This is a shortcut!" She says cheerfully, and her feet go _crunch crunch _when they touch the leaves on the brown-and-dappled trail ground. I just smile doubtfully in response and trudge along beside her.

This was.. _nice_, actually. The sounds of the songbirds and the trickling of creek water from goodness knows where(if there was a creek, I couldn't see it) rung in my ears and the air was lighter and _fresher, _in a way. It was refreshing.

"Eek!" I giggle softly when I hear Tori stumble in a pothole, then laugh when she comically hops around holding a knee to her chest, whilst gibberish profanities flow out of her mouth like a waterfall.

"Are you alright?" I ask, quelling my laughter. She nods and I can see tears in her eyes. I immediately drop my backpack on the ground and inspect her foot to check for damage. I gently hold the heel in one hand and the front in the other and look up at my sister to check for reactions.

"Does this hurt?"

I wiggle it a little bit and she shakes her head. Thank Britney Spears there was no chance of fractures then.

..What? I took a baby-sitting course last summer and I learned a bunch!

I gently pressed down on her foot, not pressuring the bone but the skin. I look up to see her reaction and stifle a chuckle when I hear,

"That hurts! Holy guacamole, that hurts!"

I let her foot go and explain to her that she bruised it. She raises an eyebrow at my magical, mysteriously miraculous medical powers, but I feign ignorance and just smile at her.

"Can you walk?"

"Uhh.. maybe?" I just stare at her with faux irritation in my eyes until she realises with an amusing jolt that she's supposed to test it. Tori places the foot on the ground tentatively and gives me a thumbs-up.

"Let's go, then, we have five minutes before school starts!" We set off on our way once more, and out of the corner of my eye I see Tori's watching where she's going for once. Good for her.

"We're almost there." Tori states and I can see the tip of the school above the trees.. Or at least, I **think **it's the school. We're walking, walking in comfortable silence and it's really, really nice. Even the songbirds are quiet and I don't have a single fret in my mind.

"Thanks, by the way."

"For what?" I shoot a sidelong glance at the random outburst from my brunette sibling.

"For fixing my foot." I can feel a blush creeping up my neck. Since when does anyone ever say 'Thank you' to me?

"You're welcome, but it wa.." I trail off as I see the heavy forest clearing to reveal the back of the school. I look over at my watch happily to see that we still have three minutes before it starts! I grab Tori's wrist and we dash towards the school.

"Trina, wait!" I feel my whole body being jerked backwards by the arm and silently wince as Tori possibly dislocates my shoulder.

"What?" I hiss. She drags me behind a nearby dumpster and points around the corner wildly. I don't know what it is, but something about her demeanour makes me stay quiet. I hesitantly inch over to the edge of the green object, lacing my fingers over the edge of the corner and peeking my head out.

Oh no.

My heart drops at what I see and I can feel a stinging pressure behind my eyes and I **know **I'm going to cry if I don't close them. But the image is still burned in my mind when I do.

Because past my eyelids, there sits Josh, **my **Josh, making out with none other than Jessica Wolfe. His hands were in places on her body that they should never be; his lips were on hers; **both **of them were in nothing _but_ underwear and I think I'm going to puke. But instead I force my eyes open, pull out my phone and snap a picture- one, two, three, four more of them, and then give my phone to Tori. We exchange looks and she nods- sister telepathy, maybe? And I can feel rage bubbling up inside of me and I think that it's about time to let it out.

I put my backpack on the ground and pull out my fingerless leather gloves(you know, the ones that I train with) and pull them over my hands. It's time to let him have it, don't you think?

I'm about to step out, but I freeze when they start talking.

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" Jessica asks between kisses, gross, immoral kisses that sound like sucking sounds..

"Yeah." He responds nonchalantly. "It's not like she's ever gonna know, anyway. Besides, I'm only dating her so that I can be the first one to _have her_."

Have her.. Have me..

"_Trina, he's a player. He wants you because he wants to be the first to **have you**."_

Well, he's not going to. I tug on my gloves a bit and step out into the open. It's punching time.

He doesn't even look up when I arrive. Neither does she. They **do **look up, however, when I grab a fistful of blonde hair from her and a tangle of wavy black hair from him, yanking them backwards before smashing their foreheads into each other.

"**FUCK YOU**!" I scream at the top of my lungs before stomping on his groin. As he doubles over and wheezes in pain, I turn to Jessica, who instantly raises her hands in defeat and runs off. I bite my lip. That revenge wasn't enough.

"Trina, I.." Tori comes out from the shadows of the dumpster. I shake my head. "No, Tori. It's okay. Let's just.. go to class." I wipe the tears that formed in my eyes and me and Tori make off to go to class. As we're walking, those words haunt me.

"_Trina, he's a player. He wants you because he wants to be the first to **have you**." _Jade's words stab into my mind like thorns and all I can think of is _how right she was _and **how wrong I was**_**.**_

But now I'm alone and I can't do anything about it, can I? I don't have Jade anymore and I don't have Josh.

I guess you really **don't **know what you've got 'til it's gone, huh?

. **. **.

"_Radio.. Bleed me a melody.. That'll make this girl cry, oh. Radio.. bleed me a melody, that will make me wonder why.."_

Guess where I am again? Yep, the janitor's closet.

By myself.

Without Jade.

Singing.

Alone.

He is We is pretty much my only friend right now and I'm just sitting quietly in the exact same corner. Yep, I'm **that **pitiful. I'm not crying, though, so that's probably something. I'm just.. sniffling quietly and fiddling with my PearPhone while I sing.

"_I was so cold..." _I trail off as I see a shadow moving outside the janitor's closet doors. Was it Josh? I lean forward to get a better view then decide against it, pressing myself against the back wall. I don't want him here, I don't want him here, I _don't want him here_..

The door swings open and I try to make myself as small as possible, squeezing against the garbage can on my left side. My eyes screw shut and I try to be still.

..

..

..

A hand presses against my chin and tips it up. My eyes stay closed, even after I feel a pair of lips press against my own.

"Go away, Josh! You stupid bastard.." I say the last part with a choke in my voice and I push against whoever's holding me.

"Trina, open your eyes." I shake my head feverently, although now I know that whoever it is, it isn't Josh.

I feel a gentle touch on my tear-stained eyes, forcing my lids open.

"Hey, girl. You okay?" André asks. I throw myself into his arms and reduce to a sobbing, blobby, blabbering mass as he wraps his arms around me and I just cry onto his shoulder.

After a while, I'm done crying but he hugs me anyway, his hands rub up and down my back and I couldn't think of anyone better suited to comfort me.

Except..

André pulls away from me and grabs my hand. "Come on. There's someone who wants to see you." I follow him, wondering who it could be..

We go outside to see Jade sitting on the steps in the middle of the hallway, her loud combat boots making _taptaptap _sounds on the floor. I let out a squeaking sound and half-hide behind André when she looks up and her eyes lock with mine. She just shakes her head and gets up, walking towards me. Crap, I hope she's not going to yell at me.

Instead, she takes my hands in hers and looks deep into my eyes. Her seafoam irises are digging into my soul, and it's immensely uncomfortable but she goes though with it anyway. She pulls away after a moment, leaving me immensely confused.

"I knew you didn't mean it." She says, matter-of-factly.

"Mean what?"

"What you said in your house." Jade states, flipping a raven lock over her shoulder. "I may be a shortsighted bitch, but I **know **when someone's lying. I also know that I want to be your friend just as much as you want to be mine." I find myself grinning giddily.

"So, friends?" She holds out a hand. I shake it.

"Friends." She pulls me under her arm in a marionette-styled twirl, and I spin away from her blissfully, landing in André's arms. I look up to see him smiling at me. I press a peck to his chin. God, this was a _thousand _times better than dating Josh. Jade saunters over to me.

"So, are we going to hang out after school or what?" I ask the both of them.

André and Jade send mischievous smirks my way and strut off in their separate directions just as the second period bell rings.

I'll take that as a yes.

* * *

yay that was beautiful I'M FOURTEEN NOW


End file.
